TAS-20 Scores Research Articles

Prevalence of alexithymia among a cohort of well controlled HIV-infected adolescents and non-HIV-infected adolescents

Background: With the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in 1996, the quality of life of people living with HIV has improved. Although people diagnosed and living with HIV are overwhelmed by emotions, we found that various emotional manifestations are understudied within this group of patients. One such aspect is alexithymia which is seen at exorbitantly high rates among patients with depression, causing a major public health concern. In our study, we hypothesized that clinically significant changes with HAART would be associated with changes in depression, anxiety, and alexithymia. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenient sample of 44 HIV-seropositive children and 30 healthy school children of age 12–15 years. We obtained permission from participants to access their medical records to obtain data regarding their CD4 cell counts and viral loads over the entire study period. The enrolled participants were administered a validated 20-item Toronto alexithymia scale (TAS-20) to assess their alexithymic levels. Results: Mean alexithymia score of healthy children was 0.67 ± 1.26 and mean of children living with HIV was 4.48 ± 7.80. When comparing the TAS-20 scores of children living with HIV and healthy children, children living with HIV revealed scores slightly higher than healthy children, but none showed scores equal to 40. There was statistically significant difference between both groups (P = 0.003). Conclusion: Our study revealed that there was a significant difference between the TAS scores of HIV-seropositive children on HAART and healthy children, none of their scores indicated alexithymic condition. In the health sector, alexithymia has been emphasized as barriers to patient-practitioner communication. Clinicians should be aware of the decrease in alexithymic traits among HIV subjects who are under HAART. This study highlights the benefits of the HAART era, namely the chronicity of the infection and the possibility of disease management, thus improving the mental status of such population.

Psychometric properties of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) in Brazil.

Internationally, the most widely used self-report instrument to assess alexithymia (a clinical condition characterized by serious deficits in the cognitive processing of emotions) is the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Because this measure has been poorly investigated in Brazil and emerging research suggests that TAS-20 scores might vary from one culture to another, we sought to: (1) investigate the psychometric properties of a Brazilian TAS-20; and (2) examine the degree to which Brazilian non-clinical TAS-20 scores differ from the scores of non-clinical samples from other cultures. A sample of 850 non-clinical Brazilian adults were administered a number of questionnaires and performance-based measures via online data collection. Data analyses inspected internal consistency and factor structure of the TAS-20, and tested the association of TAS-20 scores to emotional functioning and psychopathology. In line with previous international research, the Brazilian TAS-20 showed acceptable to adequate psychometric properties. Furthermore, TAS-20 scores associated negatively with empathy and emotional perception, and positively with emotion dysregulation and personality traits like dependency, abrupt changes in mood, and avoidance of criticism. Also noteworthy, our non-clinical Brazilian TAS-20 scores were very similar to those observed in other previously published non-clinical TAS-20 scores from seven non-Brazilian cultures.

Moving Along: Team Training for Emergency Room Trauma Transfers (T2ERT2)

To determine whether high fidelity simulation-based training (SBT) of interprofessional teams involving trauma transfers has an immediate impact on participants' team-based attitudes and behaviors. A quasi-experimental, pre-/postintervention comparison design examined high fidelity SBT of inter-professional teams using a 2 scenario format with immediate after action structured debriefing. Pre-/postsession Readiness for Inter-Professional Learning Scale (RIPLS, 19 items, Likert-type) surveys as well as Interprofessional Teamwork (IPT, 15 items, Likert-type) questionnaires, and postscenario participant- and observer-rated Teamwork Assessment Scales (TAS, 3 subscales, 11 items, Likert-type) were completed during each training session. Mean RIPLS, IPT, and TAS scores were calculated and matched pre-/postscore differences compared using paired t-test or analysis of variance with Bonferroni adjustment. A large, urban, academic, state health sciences institution in the Southeastern United States during the 2014 to 2015 academic year. General surgery residents, emergency medicine residents, and senior undergraduate nursing students comprising ten interprofessional teams. From approximately 48 participants, matched pre-/postsession IPT surveys were available for 42 individuals; 45 had an observer TAS evaluation for both scenarios; and 40 completed TAS peer evaluations for both scenarios. 47 participants had matched RIPLS surveys. Statistically significant improvements in matched pre-/postscore differences occurred for all 15 IPT items. Observer TAS scores significantly improved on 2 of the 3 subscales comparing the second to the first scenario. Peer evaluations statistically improved comparing the second to the first scenario. Two of the 19 RIPLS items demonstrated statistically significant improvement. Interprofessional trauma team transfer training using SBT changes attitudes toward key team-based competencies and leads to learning them in the simulated environment. Such improvement in team-based skill and attitudes is an important first step in adopting team-based behaviors in the actual clinical environment and improving transfer care.

Emotional intelligence, empathy and alexithymia: a cross-sectional survey on emotional competence in a group of nursing students.

Background:Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize and manage one’s own and others’ emotions, empathy is the ability to understand how others feel, whereas alexithymia represents the difficulty in feeling and verbally expressing emotions. Emotional competences are important requirements for positive outcomes in nursing profession.The aim of the study:To analyze EI, empathy and alexithymia in nursing students.Methods:We conducted a cross-sectional survey in a sample of 237 students (53 males, 184 females), attending both the 1st and 3rd year of the University Nursing Course in Modena. We administered three Italian validated scales: Schutte Self-Report Emotional Intelligence Test (SSEIT), Jefferson Scale of Empathy - Health Professions Student (JSE-HPS), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Data were statistically analyzed.Results:Statistically significant differences were found between the 1st and 3rd year students at SSEIT (t=-0.6, p=0.52), JSE-HPS (t=-3.2, p=0.0016) and TAS-20 scores (t=-3.54, p=0.0005). Among 3rd year students, females obtained significantly different scores from those of males at SSEIT (t=2.8, p=0.006). All three scales reported a Cronbach’s alpha >0.80. SSEIT correlated positively with JSE-HPS (Spearman’s rho=0.15, p=0.02) and negatively with TAS-20 (Spearman’s rho=-0.18, p=0.006).Conclusions:Our study highlighted a good level of emotional skills among students at the beginning of nursing training, further increased by the last year of the course, suggesting that emotional competences can be learned, and confirmed that empathy, but not alexithymia, is a dimension of EI. (www.actabiomedica.it)

The relationships between nomophobia, alexithymia and metacognitive problems in an adolescent population.

Yavuz M, Altan B, Bayrak B, Gündüz M, Bolat N. The relationships between nomophobia, alexithymia and metacognitive problems in an adolescent population. Turk J Pediatr 2019; 61: 345-351. Nomophobia refers to an intense anxiety and stress caused by being out of contact with mobile phones (MPs). It is known that excessive engagement with MPs decreases adolescents` psychological well-being, social and academic functioning. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of nomophobia with alexithymia which is characterized by difficulties in describing and expressing emotions and using empathy, and with the metacognition characteristics which have the function of controlling the cognitions in an adolescent population. The study was conducted on 1817 participants (n = 972, 54% female, n = 835, 46% male). The Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q), The Twenty-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and The Metacognition Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents (MCQ-C) were administered to participants. A question form for socio-demographic data was also administered to participants and their families. Cathegorical variables were analyzed by chi-square test, and numerical variables were analyzed by independent sample t test. The relationships between the scales` scores were analyzed by the Pearson-product moments correlation test. The predictive effects of alexithymia, metacognition problems and gender were assessed by multiple linear regression analysis. Nomophobia, alexithymia and metacognition problem levels were significantly higher in females than males. There was a significant correlation between NMP-Q and TAS-20 scores and MCQ-C scores. TAS-20, MCQ-C scores and gender significantly predicted the nomophobia when NMP-Q score was a dependent variable. Therapeutic interventions for improving social skills like emphatic thinking and/or increasing emotional expression may be beneficial in the treatment of adolescents with alexithymic traits which experience nomophobia. Moreover, interventions that enhance metacognitive skills which can control negative thoughts triggered by the possibility of losing contact with MPs may increase treatment success.

Measurement Invariance of English and French Language Versions of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale

Abstract. The alexithymia construct is commonly measured with the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), with more than 20 different language translations. Despite replication of the factor structure, however, it cannot be assumed that observed differences in mean TAS-20 scores can be interpreted similarly across different languages and cultural groups. It is necessary to also demonstrate measurement invariance (MI) for language. The aim of this study was to evaluate MI of the English and French versions of the TAS-20 using data from 17,866 Canadian military recruits; 71% spoke English and 29% spoke French as their first language. We used confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) to establish a baseline model of the TAS-20, and four increasingly restrictive multigroup CFA analyses to evaluate configural, metric, scalar, and residual error levels of MI. The best fitting factor structure in both samples was an oblique 3-factor model with an additional method factor comprised of negatively-keyed items. MI was achieved at all four levels of invariance. There were only small differences in mean scores across the two samples. Results support MI of English and French versions of the TAS-20, allowing meaningful comparisons of findings from investigations in Canadian French-speaking and English-speaking groups.

Emotional Ability and Skin-restricted Lupus Evolution: A Longitudinal Study.

Impaired emotional abilities (higher scores of alexithymia and lower levels of emotional awareness) were found in patients with skin-restricted lupus, warranting examination of the relationship between these abilities and the evolution of skin-restricted lupus, using longitudinal data. A total of 75 consecutive outpatients with skin-restricted lupus were recruited and assessed by a dermatologist and a psychiatrist every 6 months over a period of 2.5 years. Alexithymia and emotional awareness were evaluated with the French versions of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS). During follow-up, good stability of the LEAS scores was observed, whereas TAS-20 scores varied; those variations were positively associated both with lupus duration and current psychiatric and personality disorders, but not with lupus remission. Such findings regarding 2 complementary aspects of emotional functioning are of direct interest for the management of patients with skin-restricted lupus.

Evaluation of alexithymia in patients affected by rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis: A cross-sectional study.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are chronic autoimmune diseases leading to joint damage, functional limitation, and disability and are typically associated with several comorbidities. Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by a disregulation of emotion processing and regulation of emotions that involves a dissociation of emotional and physical responses to life events. A broad association between alexithymia and symptoms as depression, inflammation, and pain has been demonstrated. We aimed at evaluate an association among inflammatory arthritis, as RA and PsA, and alexithymia, and a possible link with clinical characteristics and disease activity.In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled, from January to December 2017, patients affected by RA or PsA referring to the outpatient's clinic of the Rheumatology Unit of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was used to assess alexithymia. Disease activity, function, quality of life, and clinimetric indexes were assessed.A total of 50 RA patients and 51 PsA patients were enrolled. The TAS-20 score showed 38.6% (39/101) patients had alexithymia, 26.7% (27/101) patients were in the borderline of alexithymia and 34.7% (35/101) patients did not have alexithymia. A statistical significant association was observed between alexithymia and inflammatory indices (ESR: P = .029, CRP: P = .043) and between alexithymia and clinimetric parameters (ptVAS, pVAS, GH, P < .0001 for all comparisons). A significant trend of association has been demonstrated between alexithymia and female gender and concomitant steroid therapy. No correlations among variables such as age, duration of disease, and comorbidities and alexithymia status were observed.This study suggests that alexithymia assessment should be a part of the comprehensive management of RA and PsA patients.

Alexithymia, impulsivity and sensation seeking in Buprenorphine addiction: A comparative study

ABSTRACTBackground: Addiction to Subutex® can be conceptualized as a consequence of the interaction between individual, environmental and substance-related risk factors. Impulsivity, alexithymia and sensation seeking form part of the personality traits that have been implicated in the development of addiction.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional comparative study including 50 patients with addiction to Subutex® (PSA) and 50 witnesses. We estimated alexithymia with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale(TAS-20), impulsiveness with the BARRATT Impulsiveness Scale and we assessed seeking sensation with the Brief Seeking Sensation Scale.Results: Alexithymia (total TAS-20 score superior to 56) was significantly more frequent in the PSA group (54%) compared to the control group (24%) (p < 0.05). A high level of impulsivity, was found in 60% of the PSA group participants. That rate was significantly higher than in the control group.PSA scored significantly higher in three of the four dimensions of sensation seeking as well as in the BSSS-8 total score, compared to the control group.Conclusion: Such personality traits may alter the therapeutic course and promote poly-addiction as well as riskier addictive behaviors such as using injections. Therapeutic interventions should include reducing the consequences of alexithymia, impulsivity and sensation seeking.

Relationship between BMI and emotion-handling capacity in an adult Finnish population: The Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966

BackgroundAlexithymia, a difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions, has been associated with obesity and eating disorders in small-scale cross-sectional studies. Here, we assess the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and alexithymia in a large cohort of free-living Finnish adults over a 15-year period.MethodsParticipants were drawn from the Northern Finnish Birth Cohort 1966 (NFBC1966). The 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) was used as a measure of alexithymia and was completed at the age of 31 years (31y: n = 4841), and 46 years (46y: n = 5404). BMI was recorded at both time points. Where data at both time points were available (n = 3274), the relationship between changes in BMI and TAS-20 over this time period was also investigated.ResultsBMI was significantly and positively associated with TAS-20 score (p<0.0001, both at 31 years and at 46 years of ages). The association remained statistically significant after adjustment for potential confounders (sex, marital status and several socio-economic indicators). In individuals who experienced the greatest change in BMI (in either direction) over the 15-year period, there was a modest mean increase in TAS-20 score.ConclusionsOur data revealed that TAS-20 score was correlated with and co-varied with body mass status. We suggest that future clinical research should consider the role of alexithymia in obesity. Further investigation of this relationship is warranted to ensure that the needs of obese subjects with undiagnosed alexithymia are considered in the design of weight management programmes.

Associations of social support and alexithymia with psychological distress in Finnish young adults.

The positive influence of social support on psychological wellbeing is well documented but the research among young adults is scarce. Additionally, it is still unclear what type of social support explains the positive influence in this age group. Alexithymia has been linked to lacking social support and higher levels of psychological distress, but the underlying mechanisms are not well known. We aimed to assess the association of social support and alexithymia with psychological distress in a sample of young adults. The non-clinical sample comprised 316 young Finnish adults (mean age 23 years). Psychological distress was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), alexithymia was measured with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and social support with the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). The associations were assessed using regression analyses. The TAS-20 (p = 0.002) and MSPSS (p = < 0.001) total scores were significantly associated with the GHQ-12 scores even after adjustment for sociodemographic variables. For the model with the TAS-20 and MSPSS subscales, the Difficulty Identifying Feelings subscale score of the TAS-20 scale (p < 0.001) and the Family subscale score of the MSPSS scale (p = 0.010) were significantly associated with the GHQ-12 scores. Our results show that low social support and high levels of alexithymia are associated with increased psychological distress both in females and males. Perceived social support from family explained the association between social support and psychological distress to a significant extent. Regarding alexithymia, the association with psychological distress was mainly related to difficulties identifying feelings.

Investigation of alexithymia and levels of anxiety and depression among patients with restless legs syndrome.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine alexithymia among restless legs syndrome (RLS) patients, compare with healthy controls, and argue the clinical inferences of this relationship. We searched for anxiety and depression and their clinical outcomes among patients and searched whether the results are similar to previous studies.Patients and methodsEighty-seven RLS patients and 88 age, gender, and educationally matched healthy controls were assessed in Bezmialem Foundation University Hospital. RLS patients and healthy controls were assessed with the Sociodemographic Data Form constructed for the present study, 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS). The patient group was also assessed with the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) RLS Severity Scale.ResultsRLS patients were found to have greater TAS-20, BDI, and BAS scores compared with the control group (P < 0.05). RLS severity score was positively correlated with the scores of anxiety and depression scales. However, no significant relationship was found between scores of IRLSSG RLS scale and TAS-20 total and subscale scores.ConclusionRLS patients were found to be more alexithymic than healthy controls, whereas no significant relationship was found between RLS severity and levels of alexithymia. Still, alexithymia might be a predictor for early diagnosis and may be considered in the treatment and follow-up of RLS. RLS patients have higher depression and anxiety scores than healthy individuals. Thus, depression and anxiety should be taken into consideration throughout the RLS treatment.

Alexithymia affects patients with hidradenitis suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that impairs patients' quality of life. Various psychiatric or psychological conditions have been associated with HS, however, no data are available on alexithymia, a psychological construct characterized by the inability to express, describe, and recognize feelings. To assess the presence of alexithymia in HS patients. Demographic and clinical data from patients with HS were collected. Alexithymia was assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS)-20 questionnaire to define non-alexithymic subjects (scoring 20-50), borderline (possible) alexithymia subjects (scoring 51-60), and alexithymic subjects (scoring ≥61). The alexithymic personality trait is identified based on TAS-20 score ≥51. This multicentre study included 86 HS patients, 100 obese individuals, and 85 healthy control subjects. The mean TAS-20 score was significantly higher in the HS patient cohort (55.37 ±13.42) than in the control group (40.96±10.47) (p<0.001). Compared to the healthy and obese control groups, the prevalence of alexithymic personality trait in HS patients was 61.6% versus 21.95% and 32%, respectively (p<0.001). Of the HS patients, 37.2% were classified as alexithymic and 24.4% as borderline alexithymia. This is the first study in which an association between HS and alexithymia has been reported, expanding the spectrum of psychological disorders associated with HS.

Relationship between alexithymia and empathy in nursing and midwifery students&lt;p&gt;Hemşirelik ve ebelik öğrencilerinde aleksitimi ile empati arasındaki ilişki

Aim: This study was carried out to determine the relationship between alexithymia and empathy in nursing and midwifery students. Method: This descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional study was performed 240 students who volunteered to participate in the study on the date during which data were collected studying at the nursing and midwifery department of the Faculty of Health Sciences of a state university during the 2016-2017 Spring Semester. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Frequency, percentage, mean, Mann-Whitney U test for binary groups, Kruskal-Wallis H Test and Spearman correlation analysis test for more than two groups were used in the evaluation of data. Findings: The average age of 240 students who participated in the study was 21.72±1.30 years, and 66.3% of them (n=159) were nursing students while 33.7% of them (n=81) were midwifery students. When the averages of the TAS-20 scores were examined, it was determined that 15.4% (n=37) of the students had a score of 61 or more and included alexithymic group. There was a significant negative relationship between the BES and TAS-20 (r=-.167, p=.010). Conclusion: It is observed that there is a negative relationship between students' alexithymia and empathy and that individuals without alexithymia tendency have higher empathy developing skills. Extended English summary is in the end of Full Text PDF (TURKISH) file. ÖzetAmaç: Bu araştırma, hemşirelik ve ebelik bölümü öğrencilerinde aleksitimi ile empati arasındaki ilişkiyi belirlemek amacıyla yapıldı. Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı, ilişki arayıcı ve kesitsel nitelikte yapılan çalışma, 2016-2017 Bahar Yarıyılı’nda verilerin toplandığı tarihte çalışmaya katılmaya gönüllü 240 öğrenci ile gerçekleştirildi. Veriler; Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Temel Empati Ölçeği (TEÖ) ve Toronto Aleksitimi Ölçeği (TAÖ-20) kullanılarak toplandı. Verilerin değerlendirilmesinde; frekans, yüzde, ortalama, ikili gruplarda Mann Whitney U Testi, ikiden fazla gruplarda Kruskal Wallis-H testi ve Spearmen korelasyon analiz testi kullanıldı. Bulgular: Araştırmaya katılan 240 öğrencinin yaş ortalamaları 21.72±1.30, %66.3’ü (n=159) hemşirelik ve %33.7’si (n=81) ebelik öğrencisi idi. TAÖ-20 puan ortalamaları incelendiğinde, öğrencilerin %15.4’ünün (n=37) 61 ve üstü puan alarak aleksitimik gruba dahil olduğu saptandı. TEÖ ve TAÖ-20 ölçekleri arasında zıt yönde anlamlı düzeyde bir ilişki olduğu saptandı (r=-.167, p=.010). Sonuç: Öğrencilerin aleksitimi ile empati arasında zıt yönde bir ilişki olduğu, aleksitimi eğilimi olmayan bireylerin empati kurma yeteneklerinin daha yüksek olduğu görülmektedir.

(163) - Alexithymia in adolescents with and without chronic pain

Alexithymia refers to a deficit in emotional awareness and is elevated in adults with chronic pain, and associated with greater pain interference and pain-related affective distress. Prior studies demonstrate that depression and anxiety symptoms partially account for elevated levels of alexithymia in adults with compared to without chronic pain. However, limited research has examined alexithymia in adolescents with chronic pain compared to healthy adolescents, or how alexithymia relates to pain characteristics. The current study compares alexithymia in adolescents with and without chronic pain, assesses whether depression and anxiety contribute to group differences, and examines associations between alexithymia and pain characteristics. Forty-four adolescents, ages 14–17 years, 22 with chronic pain (from an interdisciplinary pain clinic) and 22 healthy controls participated. Adolescents completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), comprised of 3 subscales: difficulty identifying feelings (DIF), difficulty describing feelings (DDF) and externally-oriented thinking (EOT); PROMIS depression and anxiety scales, and ratings of pain intensity, pain bothersomeness, and pain interference (0–10 NRS). We found that TAS-20 total (F(1, 42) = 4.54, p = .039) and DIF (F(1, 42) = 12.33, p = .001) were higher in adolescents with chronic pain compared to healthy controls. In subsequent ANCOVA analysis, there was no effect of depression, anxiety or age on group differences. Pain bothersomeness (r = .56, p = .001) and pain interference were positively correlated with DIF (r = .56, p < .001). Pain interference was also associated with TAS-20 Total (r = .41, p = .03). Pain intensity was not related to TAS-20 scores. The current study suggests adolescents with chronic pain have elevated alexithymia, particularly difficulty identifying feelings, even when accounting for depression and anxiety symptoms. Consistent with adult literature, alexithymia (particularly DIF) was associated with greater pain interference and bothersomeness, but not with pain intensity. Future research is needed on larger samples and using longitudinal designs to better understand relationships between alexithymia, depression and anxiety in adolescents with chronic pain.

Investigation of alexithymia, depression and childhood ADHD symptom levels in parents of children with ADHD

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the severity of alexithymia, depression and childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in the biological parents of children with ADHD and to investigate the relationship between scale scores. Methods: Sixty-four children diagnosed with ADHD according to the DSM-5 criterion based on clinical interview and Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Interview for School Children and their parents who admitted to Adnan Menderes University Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Outpatient Clinic and 64 children who did not have a psychiatric diagnosis and their parents admitted to Pediatrics Outpatient Clinic between January 2015 and December 2015 were included. Parents filled out socio-demographic data form, DSM-IV-Based Child and Adolescent Disruptive Behavior Disorders Screening and Rating Scale-parent form (T-DSM-IV-S), Wender-Utah Rating Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Beck De-pression Inventory. Results: It was found that childhood ADHD symptom levels and present depressive symptom levels in parents of children with ADHD were higher than the control group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of alexithymia levels. In addition, there was a positive moderate correlation be-tween total score, hyperactivity subscale, opposition defiant disorder subscale of T-DSM-IV-S and difficulty de-scribing feelings, total and difficulty identifying feelings subscale scores of TAS-20 whereas there was no significant relationship between total score and subscale scores of T-DSM-IV-S and TAS-20 externally-oriented thinking. Discussion: Results showed that parents of children with ADHD whose hyperactivity and opposing defiant symp-tom severity are high, are more likely to experience difficulty in describing and identifying feelings. Additionally, due to the high severity of depressive symptoms in parents of children with ADHD, we believe that investigation the presence of mental disorders in parents and the implementation of appropriate parental intervention programs will contribute positively to the success of follow-up and treatment of children with ADHD

The associations between somatization, alexithymia, and mental problems in adolescents

Objective: To investigate the effect of alexithymic personality characteristics, and associated mental problems on somatization in adolescents. Methods: This research was conducted on 773 students (49% female, n=376; 51% male, n=397) aged between 11 and 17. The students were recruited from two state schools in Istanbul. DSM-5 Level 2 Somatic Symptom Scale Child Form, 20 item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Strengths and Diffi-culties Questionnaire (SDQ) self-report form were used as measures. The mean scores of the scales between fe-male and male groups were compared with independent sample t test. The correlations between the scales were analyzed with Pearson’s product moment correlation test. The predictability of total scores of TAS-20 and SDQ, and SDQ subscale scores on somatization scores was evaluated with multivariate linear regression analysis. Results: The somatization scores of females were higher than males, significantly. Somatization scores were positive-ly correlated with alexithymia, SDQ total scores, emotional problems, behavior problems, inattention/hyperactivity, and peer relation problems scores, significantly. The results of regression analysis indicated that alexithymia, emoti-onal problems, behavior problems and age significantly predict the somatization levels. Conclusion: It is suggested that therapeutic interventions aiming to improve of emotional identification and expressions may help us to increase the success of somatization treatment in adolescents. Additionally, focusing on emotional problems such as de-pressive symptoms and elevated anxiety levels, and behavioral problems may also increase the success of treatment.

The relationships between problematic internet use, alexithymia levels and attachment characteristics in a sample of adolescents in a high school, Turkey

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationships between attachment characteristics, alexithymia and problematic internet use (PIU) in adolescents. The study was performed on 444 high school students (66% female and 34% male). Internet Addiction Test (IAT), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and Short Form of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (s-IPPA) scales were used. The adolescents who scored ≥50 on IAT were considered as the PIU group and <50 were considered as control group. There was a moderate positive relationship between TAS-20 and IAT scores (r = .441), and a moderate negative relationship between TAS-20 and s-IPPA scores (r = −.392), and a negative weak relationship between IAT and s-IPPA scores (r = −.208). S-IPPA scores were significantly lower in the PIU group compared to the controls (p < .001). TAS-20 scores of the PIU group were significantly higher compared to the controls (p < .05). Logistic regression analysis indicated that s-IPPA scores and TAS-20 significantly predict the PIU development (p < .05). The results indicate that alexithymia increases the risk of PIU and higher attachment quality is a protective factor for both alexithymia and PIU. These results suggest that it is important to focus on the insecure attachment patterns and alexithymic characteristics when studying adolescents with PIU.

“Lacking warmth”: Alexithymia trait is related to warm-specific thermal somatosensory processing

Alexithymia is a personality trait involving deficits in emotional processing. The personality construct has been extensively validated, but the underlying neural and physiological systems remain controversial. One theory suggests that low-level somatosensory mechanisms act as somatic markers of emotion, underpinning cognitive and affective impairments in alexithymia. In two separate samples (total N=100), we used an established Quantitative Sensory Testing (QST) battery to probe multiple neurophysiological submodalities of somatosensation, and investigated their associations with the widely-used Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Experiment one found reduced sensitivity to warmth in people with higher alexithymia scores, compared to individuals with lower scores, without deficits in other somatosensory submodalities. Experiment two replicated this result in a new group of participants using a full-sample correlation between threshold for warm detection and TAS-20 scores. We discuss the relations between low-level thermoceptive function and cognitive processing of emotion.

6 Patients affected by functional motor symptoms are not liars: an experimental deception study with the guilty knowledge task

<h3>Objective</h3> The relationship between functional neurological symptoms (FNS) and feigning is not an easy one for many clinicians. Most neurologists do not see the two as entirely distinct and would rather not get involved in the uncomfortable business of distinguishing them. Research conducted in the past decades has tried to challenge a common clinicians’ view according to which patients affected by FNS are liars. Nevertheless, no study has systematically investigated deception in these patients. <h3>Method</h3> Thirteen patients affected by functional motor symptoms and 14 healthy controls, matched for age and gender, underwent a modified version of the Guilty Knowledge Task (GKT), a computer-controlled procedure used to detect truthful and deceptive responses. All participants were also screened for depression (HAM-D), anxiety (HAM-A) and alexithymia <h3>Results</h3> No significant difference was found between the two groups either in terms of reaction time (for true responses p=0.865, for false responses p=0.765), or in terms of accuracy (for true responses p=0.654, for false responses p=0.643). No significant correlation was found between responses at the GKT and HAM-D, HAM-A and TAS-20 score. Our data showed that patients affected by functional motor symptoms have the same capacity to lie than healthy controls. These results are reinforced by the fact that depression, anxiety and alexithymia did not correlate with the GKT responses, excluding they might represent confounding factors. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Patients affected by functional motor symptoms are not liars. Clinicians should start considering these patients as genuine as patients with multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease.